Sevel Argentina

Sevel Argentina S.A.

Company type	Joint venture
Industry	Automotive
Predecessor	Fiat Concord and SAFRAR
Founded	1981
Founder	Fiat Concord and SAFRAR (merged), Franco Macri (majority owner from 1982)
Defunct	1999
Fate	Liquidated
Headquarters	Buenos Aires (El Palomar for passenger cars) , Argentina
Area served	Argentina, Latin America
Key people	Franco Macri (owner), Mauricio Macri (vice-president and president in early 1990s)
Products	Automobiles and commercial vehicles under Fiat, Peugeot, Alfa Romeo, Chevrolet, Citroën marques
Owner	Grupo SOCMA (85% ownership from 1982), later PSA Group
Number of employees	Approximately 15,000 laid off in early 1980s restructuring (1982)
Parent	Grupo SOCMA (until 1998), then PSA Group

Sevel Argentina S.A. was an automotive manufacturer in Argentina, established in 1981 through the fusion of Fiat's and Peugeot's local subsidiaries (Fiat Concord and SAFRAR). The company produced and distributed vehicles under the Fiat, Peugeot, Alfa Romeo, Chevrolet, and Citroën marques until it ceased operations in 1999. In 1982, businessman Franco Macri acquired an 85% ownership stake via Grupo SOCMA, positioning Sevel Argentina as the nation's leading car manufacturer. His son, former Argentine president Mauricio Macri, held executive roles as vice-president and president during the early 1990s.

History

In Europe, Fiat S.p.A. and PSA Peugeot Citroën created a joint venture equally owned by both companies called "Sevel" in 1978, managing factories in Italy and France that produced commercial vehicles and multipurpose vehicles. The Argentine merger of Peugeot's SAFRAR with Fiat Concord in 1981 was a response to law No Nº 21.932 enacted in 1979, which restructured the domestic automotive sector. The acronym Sevel stood for "Sociedad Europea de Vehículos para Latinoamérica," indicating its focus on Latin American markets.

At its inception, Sevel continued manufacturing existing Fiat models such as the 125 and 128 alongside Peugeot's 404 and 504, later incorporating the Peugeot 505 (1981) and Fiat 147 (1982) into its portfolio. After Franco Macri took control in 1982, production was streamlined—two out of five assembly plants were shut down, output was cut to approximately 30,000 units annually, and around 15,000 workers were laid off. By the late 1980s, the range expanded to include models like the Fiat Regatta, Uno, Duna, as well as licensed production of Chevrolet C-10 pickups.

Passenger car manufacturing was centralized at Fiat’s El Palomar facility near Buenos Aires, while commercial vehicles were produced in Córdoba province. Initially closed, Peugeot’s Berazategui plant resumed operations in 1993 to meet growing demand. The import liberalization policy introduced in 1991 enabled Sevel to add Alfa Romeo and Citroën brands to its local offerings.

Mauricio Macri assumed the vice-presidency in 1992 and served as president between 1994 and 1995 before moving on to sports administration. The company experienced growth during the economic upswing triggered by Economy Minister Domingo Cavallo’s Convertibility Plan of 1991, with sales escalating from 30,000 units in 1990 to 200,000 by 1994. Nonetheless, following the Mexican peso crisis and Argentina’s ensuing recession, sales declined to roughly 130,000 units by the mid-1990s. This downturn compelled Sevel to terminate its Fiat license in 1996; revenues fell sharply to about US$1.1 billion.

After ending its association with Fiat S.p.A. in 1996, Sevel consolidated all vehicle production at El Palomar. In 1998, Grupo SOCMA divested its shares to PSA Group, which continued manufacturing Peugeot and Citroën models under the name "Peugeot-Citroën de Argentina." Due to Argentina’s prolonged economic crisis, Sevel was liquidated by March 2000; concurrently, Socma Group's revenues dropped from US$4.5 billion in 1994 to US$2 billion by 2001. Subsequent to liquidation, Mauricio Macri was convicted for customs duty evasion linked to automotive export-import transactions routed through Uruguay.

Sevel Uruguay

Sevel Uruguay, operating out of Montevideo, assembles vehicles for brands such as Fiat, Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge, and Ram. Established in 1984, it has been assembling CKD (completely knocked down) kits since 1992 and uses the unique plant vehicle identification code 9U1.

The assembly line includes models like the Uno, Fiorino, Punto, Palio (both sedan and wagon versions), Siena, Strada, Stilo, Idea, Linea, Ducato, as well as the Iveco Daily. Certain assembled vehicles are also distributed within Central American markets.

Vehicles

Following the 1981 merger, production persisted for established models such as the Fiat 600, 133, 128, 125, Peugeot 404, and 504. The range was broadened with the introduction of newer vehicles like the Fiat 147 (known as Spazio) and the Peugeot 505, while some older models were either updated or phased out. SEVEL-manufactured vehicles featured the "8A4" code within their vehicle identification numbers.

Manufactured

The following vehicles were produced by Sevel Argentina between 1981 and 1999:

Template:Center
Model	Category	Origin	Production Years	Image
600	A-segment	Template:Country data ITA	1981–82
125	Sedan / Station wagon / Pickup	Template:Country data ITA	1981–82
128	Sedan / Station wagon	Template:Country data ITA	1981–82
133	B-segment	Template:Country data SPA	1981–82
619	Truck	Template:Country data ITA	1981–95
147	Compact hatchback	Template:Country data BRA	1982–96
Regatta	Sedan / Station wagon	Template:Country data ITA	1985–95
Duna	Sedan / Station wagon	Template:Country data ITA	1987–95
Uno	B-segment	Template:Country data ITA	1989–95
Fiorino	Light commercial vehicle	Template:Country data ITA	1990–95

Template:Center
Model	Category	Origin	Production Years	Image
404	Sedan	Template:Country data FRA	1981–81
504	Sedan / Pickup	Template:Country data FRA	1981–99
505	D-segment / Station wagon	Template:Country data FRA	1981–95
405	D-segment	Template:Country data FRA	1992–99
306	C-segment	Template:Country data FRA	1995–99

Template:Center
Model	Category	Origin	Production Years	Image
Chevrolet C-10	Pickup	USA	1985–91

Imported

• Fiat Tempra (from 1993 onward)

See also

• AutoLatina, a comparable joint venture operating in Argentina